LOL
Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool, and so is wisdom to a man of understanding. Proverbs 10:23 NASB
Sport – What makes you laugh? Seriously now (pun intended), what do you laugh about? According to Solomon, the fool laughs at doing wickedness. The NASB attempts to capture the idiom with the translation “sport,” but the word is sehoq, a variation of tsehoq meaning “laughter.” A fool (kesil) who thinks God doesn’t care what we do, laughs at the fact that he can get away with things. After all, punishment is not instantaneous. His behavior confirms to him that there are no gods for if there were, his “sins” would be instantly disciplined. Who could imagine that you could insult a god and he would do nothing about it? In the ancient world of the Near East, an insulted god sought vengeance—immediately! Since YHVH does not do that (at least, not often), the kesil assumes that this impotent God doesn’t really even care. So he laughs.
As Solomon says, he’s a fool—just like us! Have you and I never thought, “Well, God will forgive me,” and then gone right ahead with a plan to disobey? Isn’t that being the consummate fool? Have you and I never once imagined that God doesn’t really care about some tiny little indiscretion, some sin that doesn’t affect anyone else, something we can easily hide and justify? You fool! God’s delay of punishment does not mean He is impotent or that your behavior doesn’t matter. It means just the opposite. The punishment is so severe that He forestalls in order for you and I to repent.
Oh, yes. And the word translated “wickedness” is not a word about horrific acts. It is zimma’, a word that is about planning or devising to do something wrong. The act doesn’t even have to be executed. Just working out how to do it is enough. The fool laughs to himself because he thinks that just imagining what it would be like to do such a thing is inconsequential and unknown. He takes no thought captive because he thinks what he wants. After all, who was ever arrested for thinking of doing something wrong. Oh, yes. Forget about that tenth commandment.
So much for the fool. Hopefully we are now in the camp of the righteous. This verse has something to say about those too. The verse is a bit cryptic. It actually just says, “But wisdom to a man of understanding.” Some translations attempt to add a verb. It isn’t there. We are to assume that the same construction applies to the man of understanding, that is, he also laughs. He laughs because his plans are about doing what is right and this brings him delight. He laughs because God assists him. He laughs because he is restoring the earth. He laughs because the ways of the wicked will fail. He laughs because it just feels good to do what is right. “Smile on me, O Lord, for I am fulfilling Your plans with pleasure.”
I don’t want to be a fool. I want to laugh with God, and feel the joy of His delight.
Topical Index: laughter, sehoq, tsehoq, zimma’, plans, fool, kesil, Proverbs 10:23
“The punishment is so severe that He forestalls in order for you and I to repent”
Does this mean if you repent in time that the punishment is ‘cancelled or lessened? I’ve been wondering about this
Repentance removes guilt, but consequences are not the same. As you and I know, they continue. They will be removed at the return of the King, a day we wait for with great expectation and need. I think sometimes repentance forestalls outward consequences but the inner damage is done. The memory of our disobedience continues. The question is whether or not we allow the yetzer ha’ra to use it against us.
How does this work because I have heard different things, maybe you can clarify. 1) I’ve heard that by teshuva you remove the ability to ‘tried for double jeopardy’ when we meet Him. How can He punish you for something you have admitted guilt for and paid for? And I’m talking about true teshuva not a, “I’m sorry” and then go on doing it. 2) I’ve also heard when we teshuva we are repair our relationship with Him/any person we did wrong against but the consequence of our sin still has to be reprimanded. And we can pay for this in this life or the next. So a true teshuva ask to humbled in this life because in the restored world it would be worse…? 3) Teshuva just removes guilt, but we have to pay for for the consequences of not building our relationship with Him ie not building His kingdom. Damage has been done and price has to be paid.
The whole Yeshua paid for my penalty does that fit into it? Because I know that nothing is free; isn’t it Yeshua paid for my penalty as long as I die to myself? Or am I just making this out to be something complicated in which it’s not. I guess nutshell, what’s the point of teshuva if I’m going to end up having to deal with the consequences anyways; kinda seems like a formality.
#2. Teshuva is restoring relationship. God grants “Not guilt” status, but we still have work to do. With God it is obedience. With others it is restoration where possible. This is why the work of teshuva is not simply outward but also change of heart. As for consequences, some things cannot be repaired in this life, but most of the fall out can be restored. We cannot repair the damage done in the Holocaust, but we can restore with teshuva the relationships that were shattered and the potential revenge and hatred that could have accompanied this evil act.
Yeshua’s faithfulness is the grounds for dealing with the ultimate penalty–death. God graciousness is the means of salvation, the change from guilty to not guilty. Our repentance puts both of these to work in our own lives.
Got it, thanks for clarifying
The battle is won or lost in the mind.
When I married my Elizabeth, I assumed that I would leave the church that morning with a ring on my finger and never think of another woman again. Wow, I realized very soon how important it is to “nip in the bud” rebellious thoughts. I adapted the passage from Matthew, “Where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” I would rehearse regularly all of my wife’s attributes, make her my treasure, then my heart would follow the treasure.
Also, this is the identical phenomenon addressed by Jeshua in the sermon on the mount. ‘You think committing adultery is wrong – even dwelling on it is the same thing.’ Clean the inside of the cup/ clean the inside of the tomb. Don’t focus on perfunctory rote obedience, dig deep get your mind right, then the rest will follow.
I have learned a strategy for attacking deep rooted, habitual sins. I ask the Lord to cause me to see the thing with His eyes. “I love this sin and I am drawn to it Lord, show me this from heaven. Let me see this from your perspective. Let me see the rot and death on the other side of this very temporary pleasure.”
Sometimes it works right away! Other times not so much. Skip your writing on yetser ha ra and yetser ha tov have been good for me too. When I find my mind enjoying a mental video from my past or a sinful thought I say STOP! That is yetser ha ra and that is death. I do not want death but life.
So I guess what I’m saying is, I belleive rote, behavior modification is a starting point, but death to self is what we need. A.W. Tozer wrote some great stuff juxtaposing Christianity as a self help religion or a call to die.
Following the rules from a legalistic bent also leads us to become Pharisees. I don’t do this, this or that, so I must be closer to God’s heart than that smoker.
This is INCREDIBLY GOOD ADVICE. thanks.
Duly Noted
The Incredible Patience of God
~ Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil ~ (Ecclesiastes 8.11)
Payday Someday
~ Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, Who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS…~
And the wages of [payment for] sin is? Death. Eternal Separation. Someone will pay. Someone has paid. “Paid in Full.”
~ He [Himself] is the propitiation [the atoning Sacrifice, the Payment, the Reconciliation,the Mercy Seat, the Peace Offering] for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world ~
~ This is Love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning Sacrifice for our sins ~ (1 John 4:10)
~ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world ~ (1 John 4.14)
~ For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost ~
~ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him ~ (John 3.17)
~ This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Yeshua the Messiah came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief ~
~ And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the Name of the LORD shall be saved ~ (Joel 2.32)
~ All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His Name ~ (Acts 10.43)
– Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (Acts 16.30)
God, be merciful to me;
On Thy grace I rest my plea
Plenteous in compassion Thou,
Blot out my transgressions now;
Wash me, make me pure within;
Cleanse, O cleanse me from my sin.
~ Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.. ~
~ [How] blessed (Oh, what joy!) are [all] those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered ~ – Amen.
Amen. Wisdom feels good.
I think it hurts a brain when something does not make sense. That hurt is called fear. Fear happens when we are believing something that is not true. Foolishness does not make sense. At some level I think we have been created- hard wired in our brains- to recognize nonsense. When our bodies are impeded from full function, they experience pain. That should be our signal to fix the malfunction in our junction. I believe fear was given to us to accomplish the same in our brains. Fix that thought! That is what fear should be telling us. “But man has sought out many inventions”. Sigh. Many ways to NOT HEED the warning voices of fear and pain.
I believe fear is our signal that something does not make sense; that something is FOOLISH. I think we should be learning how to listen to fear. BUT, we tend to try to ignore fear (if I don’t believe it is happening, it isn’t!). When that becomes impossible, then we excuse it; “Oh, I am just stressing right now”. We blame something else for it; “Oh, I get jumpy around knives”. We do meditation practices to alleviate our stress. We go to therapists to learn how to embrace ‘our’ fears and integrate ourselves with them. We can glorify them, too. Elevate them to god status. This is when people take on an entire personality of fear. Their whole lives become built around their fears (we invented a word for this: we call them “phobias” then). I am NOT making fun of phobias, y’all! I almost died of a heart attack a while back. I have proper respect for fear. It is a killer, make no mistake!
I work with broken-hearted people: people who have experienced over-whelming devastation and as a result end up with over-whelming physical manifestations. They typically recognize that there is a correlation between that trauma and the resultant illness, but diagnosis does not equal cure. I have noticed, though, that the biggest thing the devil steals from those he devastates is trust. I have been convinced in my own life, and also observing the lives of those I care for, that at the bottom, this is a trust issue of profound magnification. It is soooo hard to fight a way back to trust, though, that most people will just give up. One of the reasons they do, I think, is because the support structure around them was absent or corrupted in the first place: there was no proper community or family in place to prevent devastation from devastating them. Once trust is lost, however, people will tend to build immense structures around themselves to keep any further trust from being possible. I am exhibit “a” on that! No one, by any ‘normal’ means whatsoever could get close to me! I understand this. Still does not make sense, though. And BECAUSE it does not make sense, it feeds the fear. The paranoia deepens and broadens until everything in the world can look like a threat. The body, of course, responds accordingly, and the illnesses tend to worsen accordingly. It breaks my heart. I once suffered from that fear.
I think when the devil shows up with a temptation, he typically will show up with a carrot, a stick, and an anesthetic to go along with the package. He will suck us in with a carrot of some sort, then convince us that we ‘have no other choice’ -which is the stick (this is the way addiction will speak to us, for example), and then, once we fall for it, he will show up with an anesthetic (almost always I have noticed that this will come in the form of some behavior or practice that involves an altered state of reality on some level, which is a highly effective anesthetic), so that we can no longer recognize where we went wrong, for the purposes of making it impossible to go back and correct it. All three temptations are sins in their own right, but together, they present a well-nigh invincible package for the average human flesh. At this point, the only way back out of this package is usually going to have to be – pain! Pain so intense and over-whelming that we can no longer ignore it. Pain that is designed to make us hit our ‘bottoms’. I believe that fear is part of this saving pain given to us from on high. Fear is supposed to convince us that we need to re-check the data and come to a different conclusion. Enter our “many inventions” -to refuse to hear that warning – again. Sigh.
On a side note, I started to notice that some sins (usually involving some sort of altered state of reality) were impossible to get out and keep out UNLESS I went looking for the rest of that ‘package’ that went along with it. When I looked for the other two components; namely, that carrot and its accompanying stick, I would also find the foolish beliefs also that were driving those repeated choices. Once I repented for the entire package, however, the anesthetic no longer looked necessary. Then, AND ONLY THEN, could I see its foolishness. Until then, it would look entirely plausible and ‘necessary’.
If only we were to go back and do some new thinking about pain and fear, I think we would have the key to the majority of the curses that afflict mankind. If only we were to go back, not to Hippocrates or Plato, but to the Tanakh, to learn the proper response to the devastation in our lives, we would have to key to our cure. Foolishness is not just something that happens in the spiritual or mental dimension; foolishness manifests in our bodies and behaviors in like manner. If something is not making sense in a person’s life, believe me, it is equally not going to be making sense in their thought life or in what they are choosing to believe in their hearts, either.
“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” Prov. 22:15. Unfortunately, that is what it is for the rest of us, too!
Wisdom, I am convinced, is the art of perfect trust. Folly? Folly is going to be a fear-based phenomenon. Guaranteed.
P.S. So why does folly cause enjoyment and amusement? The only way I think that it is possible- the only way to enjoy sin, in fact- is going to be if we put our brains and bodies in an altered state of reality of some sort -some way to bypass the warning systems that were built into us so as to help us be aware of things that don’t make sense. A person who is successfully and merrily able to ignore the effects of nonsense (sin) in their lives is also, I believe, going to have to be doing some sort of altered state of reality in those places. “Oh, I need to go meditate to get my stress levels back down”, or whatever. It is a fact that mindless meditation will temporarily raise endorphin levels, (which is what I refer to as an example of an ‘in-house’ high). We have many inventions to ignore things that don’t make sense! Oh, well. Back to my personal definition of sin: “It don’t make no sense!”.
Can I suggest you look at the work of Gerald May?
Thank you, Skip! I needed that reference! And any others that people may have, too.
Ok, yall. I’ll wrap it up for ya. To continue to ignore the pain and the fear that are our warning systems for sin, using all the multifarious and devious ways we have been handed, for the purposes of being able to continue to enjoy the sin, has got to be the height of folly! (This didn’t even make sense as I wrote it…)
But it makes a lot of sense to me. My experience exactly. Thank you.
Wow! I need a drink! (kidding) nice post Laurita!
On another note, do we laugh often?? I tend to take life so serious, attempting to do the right thing. How do we loosen up and as you said Skip. “I want to laugh with God, and feel the joy of His delight.” I love this thought and I want it real in my life.
Um, MLH, it is more fun to laugh at nonsense than to be doing it? Start there? It is said that the devil always insists on being taken seriously and hates to be laughed at… I wonder why… It isn’t very good to be taking ourselves too seriously either. When is the last time you chose to have a really good belly laugh at yourself INSTEAD of just beating yourself up with some random accusation you got handed by you-know-who? I have to be pretty ridiculous in the sight of YHVH pretty much all the time, and that has to be ok, albeit improving. When is the last time I laughed with Him at myself? Would that make me a funny person? I know He smiles at me more than I smile at myself. I need to play some catch-up here. (Excuse me, I need to go find a mirror and ask it what He sees when He sees me!)
Skip, when I read this I thought ‘Oh my gosh, I am sooooo screwed.’ Forgive the harsh phrase, but for weeks now you – well, not you primarily but the One you serve – have been hitting on topics that I thought I had either dealt with (a few of them, anyway) or been able to ignore (the majority), so I thought. Everyone of your posts recently has been a zinger, but today especially so. I am convicted, but am I convicted enough? Only time will tell.
Yes, just imagine how I felt writing it. Words dipped in tears. I am right there with you, more than you might think.
Skip, and Laurita hayes and all the others who have written today, I spent some time reading and taking notes from the comments; because I think it was Laurita that posted yesterday on the pain she experienced growing up, if not, then her writings today ties in with your pain you have written about Skip the past several days off and on again.
And I finally feel free to write you Skip after just reading your comments just above, I have evaded writing personally to you on the post ” Hard Sayings” as I have been so concerned with your grief that I could not. However, with all of that may I share with you the love the Lord flooded me that night as I was in bed seeking the Lord in prayer with thanksgiving and joy for His great love for many in my circle of needed help. I was so grieving in my Spirit as I interceded for you and Roseann and all four of your children. Toward daylight I got up opened the blinds and went back to my bed as my room was very cold. I began to have great peace and joy and ask the Lord for some sleep as I am nearing 82 years now. And I fell asleep and slept until ten a.m. When I read above what you wrote, I felt released to write that to you, as I know that if you do what is right in His sight that you will once again be your joyful self, along with your family. And may I suggest you stop taking so many trips, “who do you think you are?” You are a human being, who like the rest of us need a “Sabbath”, with no air schedules, constantly commuting, running around the world on jet changes, flights, without proper food. ( but they do offer plenty of liquor even without food or peanuts, my missionary retired cousin from SE Asia informed when they went out to help with the last tsunami in the Philippines this Christmas). That type of eating could not be kosher food, or even decent food. You must take care of yourself! Proper rest is a necessity, please renew your proper health care in all areas. A lot of people would appreciate you being around for a long time. And I am one of them, although I do not agree with you on all issues! With the love of a real person who cares about your life and the Lord working in it. L.B.
Thank you LaVaye. You are echoing my wife. Time to slow down a bit. And your prayers are VERY much appreciated.
Speaks of ignorance to me. Is ignorance the ‘lack of knowledge’? Lack of knowledge, Hosea 4:6. was not mere ignorance, this verse tells us ” because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you shalt be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of your YHWH, I also will forget your children.
“Rejected knowledge” is parallel to “forgotten the law” !!!
Hosea 6:6 reads, “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of YHWH rather than burnt offerings.”
WE need to be aware that sacrifices to God are incomplete and even offensive without a changed heart that loves and knows Him.
First Samuel 15:22 says, “Has YHWH as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of YHWH? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”
Prov 19:2 It is not good at all to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.
TW brought to my mind, Nabal (I Samuel 25) and Calev (Num 14), my favourite studies I did a long while back.
Nabal , whose very name meant foolish, senseless, base, corrupted, unGodly
or villainous which was very fitting to his attitude and demeanor (yetza ha ra?)
Was Nabal given this name or has he earned it (through how his household and servants obeyed Abigail instantly in her instructions) but he certainly lived up to it.
The man was harsh and evil in his doings. And he was of the house of Caleb, may also be a bad description of Nabal, because Caleb can mean dog (faithful, loyal, obedient!), BUT, there were two men named Caleb in the Bible, both from Judah. One who had a tov/good spirit, following YHWH with his whole heart/lev. A name that was lived up to.
(The lesser known of the famous Calebs is a son of Hezron, who is a son of Perez, who is a son of Judah and Tamar.)
CALEB is actually a compound word in Hebrew – something that is quite common in ancient Hebrew. Col (Cuf + Lamed) = all or whole. Lev (Lamed + Vet) = heart. Therefore, CALEB (or COLEV כָּלֵב as pronounced in Hebrew) actually means “whole hearted”, or, in total surrender to YHWH.
Caleb was free from fear/unbelief. He used his strong trust in YAH to help God’s people-If YHWH delights in us (Num 14:8) He will bring us into the Land and give it to us…. FEAR not! So inspiring!
Abigail was a woman of good understanding, strength, wisdom and beauty; another example of Skip’s marvellous EZER KENEGDO!
Abigail’s wise action saved Nabal from David and saved David from himself. But it could not save Nabal from YAH’s judgment. Nabal was never out of YAH’s reach “
The combination of courage and wisdom is a rare and valuable commodity.
” The punishment is so severe that He forestalls in order for you and I to repent.” This is an awakening not to continue in blindness, not a laughing matter. :- )
Laughter IS good medicine, BUT, I don’t find anything good for laughter in sports! Shalom.
Luk 19:37 And as He was coming near, already at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the entire crowd of the taught ones began, to praise Elohim, rejoicing with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen,
Luk 19:38 saying, “ ‘Blessed is the Sovereign who is coming in the Name of יהוה!’ Peace in heaven and esteem in the highest!”
Luk 19:39 And some of the Pharisees from the crowd, said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your taught ones.”
Luk 19:40 But He answering, said to them, “I say to you that if these shall be silent, the stones would cry out.”
Skip, I agree with LaVaye. We (you included) are not indispensable. Yahshua could use the inanimate if need be to accomplish His will. It appears to me that you are burning the candle at both ends, and probably even trying the middle at times too. Take time to be with your family, your friends and with your heavenly Father. After all you are human. Heed the words of your Master.
Mar 6:31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a little” – for there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
Mar 6:32 And they went away to a lonely place in the boat by themselves.
Shalom
Thanks. Duly noted. And, by the way, I am also taking Pat’s advice and supplementing with his products. Today I fly again, but a short one and I have a few days to enjoy God’s planet in a far away land. That is always refreshing. Then I meet with a reader who I would otherwise probably never see, and have never seen before. It is such a joy to know that there are people all over the world who are on this path, and such a privilege to get to see them face to face.